50 
may be extruded either through the side or the end of 
the egg. One is at once struck at the size of the worm, 
and wonders how so large a worm could be coiled in such 
a small shell. The disappointing factor is the sluggish 
action of the larva. It is encased in a well marked 
sheath and while hatching has a languid swaying motion. 
When hatched its motion is scarcely more than a quiver. 
By the time it has been hatched an hour all motion has 
ceased. 
Beyond this stage we have seen no development. In 
10 to 14 days the worm grows paler, faintly granular and 
disintegrates. 
With the idea that some agent was necessary to dis- 
solve the sheath and liberate the larva weak solutions of 
HCL and sodium bicarbonate were applied to no avail. 
At the suggestion of Dr. Fox an emulsion of parrots^ 
proventricular mucosa was made and applied to the 
embryos. There was no development at room or incu- 
bator temperature. The ova in the preceding experi- 
ments came from proventricular slime and had not 
received the action of the bird's intestinal canal. As 
soon as a bird was found with great numbers of fecal ova 
they were washed out and the above experiments re- 
peated in graded acids and alkalis, diluted pigeon serum, 
and tap water at room temperature 41° C. The same 
results have been achieved hatching best in tap water 
and serum at room temperature. 
Both ova and newly-hatched larvae have been fed to 
pigeons on corn and placed in their crops with syringe 
and catheter. The birds were killed at intervals of one, 
two and three months and their proventricles and giz- 
zards examined grossly and microscopically (fresh). No 
infestation. Other pigeons were kept months in cages 
soiled by parrots known to be verminous; again with no 
results at autopsy. 
Pigeons ought to be susceptible to these worms. Our 
records show that a barbary turtle dove and white- 
crowned pigeon died with them in September, 1911, and 
three blue-crowned pigeons were similarly infested in 
